Women win ECAC title

Some people say that good things come in small packages. If this is true, the members of the… Some people say that good things come in small packages. If this is true, the members of the Pitt women’s track and field team are going to need hundreds of those “packages” in order to store all of the hardware they are bringing home these days.

The Panthers added to their trophy shelf this past weekend, following their Big East Outdoor Championship with yet another title, this time at the Eastern College Athletic Conference outdoor championships.

The women, who have already had one of the most successful seasons in team history, became repeat champions for the second week in a row, and have now achieved the rare feat of taking the indoor and outdoor championships in both the Big East and ECAC in the same season. The ECAC championships marked the last opportunity for all individual athletes to qualify for the NCAA East Regionals.

“I knew we had a good chance at winning the meet,” said head coach Alonzo Webb. “But I was surprised by our large margin of victory. We didn’t even compete in every event and still broke the ECAC scoring record with 133 points.”

Webb was also surprised to discover that many of his women actually performed better this week, in a supposedly less important meet, than in the Big East Championship meet.

In addition to winning championships, the women are also making a routine out of obliterating their opponents. At last week’s Big East Championship, Pitt’s 176 points placed them 60 points ahead of the nearest competitor, Notre Dame. This week, the Panther women totaled 133 points, while their next closest competitor, Cornell University, managed only 76 points.

While the women were competitive across the board, it was the sprinters who distanced Pitt from the rest of the competition. Senior Kimberly Lyles and freshman Shanea Calhoun took first and second places respectively in the 200-meter dash. Hurdler Julianna Reed captured first place in the 100 hurdles and a second place finish in the 400 hurdles. Freshman Martina Hallman won the triple jump event.

Senior thrower Amanda Walker performed as adeptly as she has all season, winning the shot put and hammer throw events and finishing second in the discus throw. The women’s 4×100 relay team of Kimberly Lyles, Shanea Calhoun, Shantea Calhoun, and Lamoy Stephens was victorious as well. The 4×100 team is Pitt’s strongest relay team, but coach Webb also expects big things from the women’s 4×400 relay squad.

“We teach our athletes how to best compete and give them strategies which will help them beat their competitors,” said Webb. “The 4×100- and 4×400-meter relay teams have learned how to compete, and I believe both teams can qualify for nationals.”

The men’s team didn’t win an event, but was competitive nonetheless. They amassed a total of 45 points, which was good enough for fifth place overall, an improvement of 13 spots from last year’s 18th-place finish. Coach Webb described their performance as “outstanding.”

“I’m really happy with the way they performed out there,” said Webb. “The women have set the precedent for them, and have made them hungrier to succeed.”

Top male performers included Sam Bair, who came in second in the 1500-meter run. Corey Kuehner recorded a second-place finish in the javelin throw. Star vaulters Matt Brousse and Keith Higham tied for third place in the pole vault competition. Justin Clickett accomplished the same feat in the shot put event, and although he has not won an event in the past few meets, he is actually improving. In recent weeks, he has closed the gap on athletes previously ranked far ahead of him, and he is moving up on national charts. Coach Webb stated that he has “every confidence that Justin will be at nationals.”

For all Pitt athletes who did not qualify for the NCAA East Regionals, the ECAC championships marked their last meet of the season. About 21 athletes (eight men and 13 women) will represent the Panthers at the Regional meet. They will take a week off in preparation for the meet, which will be held on May 27-28 in Randall Island, N.Y. The Regionals determine who will then compete at the NCAA National Championships, which will be held in Sacramento, Calif. on June 8-11.